Your ferritin dropped to 18 after giving birth at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital months ago. At the time you started to take oral iron, which is known to have absorption issues. Meanwhile you continue to see clumps of hair in your shower drain before you sit in traffic along I-10 or the SR-51 for your daily commute.
Most patients seeking IV iron are postpartum or dealing with years of heavy menstruation. They often find themselves in the so-called “ferritin gray zone” wherein iron stores are between 15 and 30 ng/mL, yet blood work appears normal while exhaustion and hair shedding remain as symptoms along with brain fog. Many women experience deficiency-related symptoms after a St. Joseph's or Banner University delivery that oral iron might be unable to resolve.
OBs across Arcadia, the Biltmore, and North Central Phoenix may flag low ferritin during postpartum visits, but they do not provide iron infusions to promptly address the issue.
An infusion suite visit at St. Joseph's, Banner, or Phoenix Children's means losing half your day to clinical waiting rooms, freeway traffic, and garage parking. Meanwhile, oral iron not only takes months to take effect but also comes with uncomfortable side effects like constipation and stomach cramps. One other alternative is to book a mobile session with Drip Gym, which brings the iron infusion to where you are in Phoenix.